Electric and hybrid electric vehicles utilize a high voltage electrical system to drive one or more electric motors and, thus, propel the vehicle. Such systems typically include a power supply, e.g., a battery, and a load, e.g., the one or more electric motors. These power supply and load are connected together as part of a high voltage (“HV”) electrical circuit.
Typically, one or more contactors are utilized to “close” and “open” the HV electrical circuit. That is, the one or more contactors are utilized to connect and disconnect the power supply from the load. However, it is sometimes necessary to manually open the HV electrical circuit. For instance, service technicians may need to open the HV electrical circuit before performing maintenance or service on the vehicle.